Robert De Niro appointed mayor Mamdani over taxes – false

In January 2026, actor Robert De Niro said he was leaving New York City due to Mayor Zohran Mamdani's policies.

According to the viral claim, "He ... who own luxury secondary homes in New York City, following which Robert De Niro allegedly accused Mamdani of being a liar....

A viral post claimed Mamdani told De Niro to sell his Tribeca home over the wealth tax (Getty Images) NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK: Amid the debates and controversies surrounding New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani over his wealth tax, a rumor began circulating on social media platforms claiming that the mayor asked Hollywood actor Robert De Niro to sell his home in the city to avoid paying the tax.

While some readers appeared to interpret the post as a legitimate report, no evidence supported the claim that Robert De Niro announced plans to leave New York City because of Zohran Mamdani.

Reporting in this collection confirms ... estate-tax cuts and rate hikes — shows extensive debate over taxes, but again no evidence of a De Niro–Mamdani meeting request concerning property taxes [3] [7] [4]....

Executive summary No credible reporting or verifiable evidence shows that Robert De Niro has attempted to meet with Mayor Zohran Mamdani about property t...

Meaww ran a fact-check addressing a later claim that De Niro “called out” Mamdani over a second-home wealth tax and quoted alleged remarks, but the item reads like reporting on the rumor’s circulation rather than presenting verifiable, on-the-record quotes from De Niro; Meaww’s framing confirms the allegation was spreading online but does not supply an independent primary source of De Niro’s comments [4] [3].

Since De Niro owns a house at Montauk, an estate north of the city, and another apartment in LA, that description appears to fit him like a glove. ... The pied-à-terre tax has been the subject of considerable controversy in recent weeks. Mamdani held what amounted to a rally in front of billionaire Ken Griffin’s apartment, implicitly scapegoating Griffin and putting him in the sights of unbalanced members of his movement only two years after the assassination of United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson.

Did Robert De Niro say he had to leave New York City now that Mamdani is officially the mayor as some viral posts are saying? No, that's not true: The actor did not make the comments about having "no choice" and Mamdani wanting to take half ...